


a little bit of sugar (and lots of poison too)

by thebatmandiaries



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Found Family, Gen, Murder Mystery AU, Time Travel, and detective sokka, featuring aang as an amazing friend, im just tagging it just in case, not actually super violent, well not really but he does some snooping, zuko is not going to have a good time in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebatmandiaries/pseuds/thebatmandiaries
Summary: Sokka sighed. “Every year I feel worse about the incident. I know I can’t do anything, but I can’t help but think, what if I had stopped him that night? Would he still be here? Would they all?”Aang shook his head. “I know you don’t want me to day this but, I really think you need to tell someone about this. At the risk of sounding too therapist-y, you keep holding on to this due to misplaced guilt. You have no idea if you could have changed the outcome. For all you know, interfering could have done nothing or made it even worse.”Sokka sighed, looking down at his lunch. “I know, I know. Katara says the same thing. It’s just...I’m the last person who saw him alive and I feel like it was my responsibility to do something.”Aang smiled. “And that’s what I like about you Sokka, you really want to help people for no reason other than it’s the right thing to do. But like I said, carrying around this guilt for something you didn't even do is going to make you miserable. Trust me.”
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. one, two, melatonin is coming for you (prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> another au in the books! i've been thinking about this for quite a while now. prologue is long so i'm splitting it into three chapters. 
> 
> there won't be a huge amount of violence, but since this is sorta an erased au it will feature things such as: abuse, violence against children and talk of murder. these will all be central themes so heed the warnings! if you think i should add tags, let me know in the comments below! 
> 
> i'm very excited for this au and I hope it is an enjoyable read.

It was the same thing every year. The date passed him and he remembered _that_ night. The thoughts that came back were always the same. _I should have invited him along. I should have asked him what was wrong._ The constant one was _I should have stayed._

It haunted him every year around the anniversary. It didn't make sense. He wasn’t even _close_ to him. They weren't friends. But the thoughts swirled around him every time the anniversary came close. 

He was shaken out of his reverie when he saw Aang. He waved from their table and yelled to come over. 

“Hey Sokka.” Aang said, as he sat down. 

“Hey Aang!” he said. 

“I saw you thinking hard.” Aang said, elbowing him. “Anything special?”

“Just the anniversary.” he said, quietly. “It’s coming up.”

Aang was a bit peculiar. But he was one of his closest friends. Sokka could overlook a bit of weirdness for a friend. 

Aang looked solem for a moment. “Yeah, it’s been a long time.” 

Sokka sighed. “Every year I feel worse about the incident. I know I can’t do anything, but I can’t help but think, _what if I had stopped him that night_? Would he still be here? Would they all?”

Aang shook his head. “I know you don’t want me to day this but, I really think you need to tell someone about this. At the risk of sounding too therapist-y, you keep holding on to this due to misplaced guilt. You have no idea if you could have changed the outcome. For all you know, interfering could have done nothing or made it even worse.”

Sokka sighed, looking down at his lunch. “I know, I know. Katara says the same thing. It’s just...i’m the last person who saw him alive and I feel like it was my responsibility to do something.”

Aang smiled. “And that’s what I like about you Sokka, you really want to help people for no reason other than it’s the right thing to do. But like I said, carrying around this guilt for something you didn't even do is going to make you miserable. Trust me.” 

Sokka sighed. “You and your weird healing techniques won’t work on me.”

Aang laughed. “I definitely didn’t mean me. Having someone with no connection to you will make you feel better. If you want I can get a list for you?”

Sokka shook his head. “It’s fine, I can look around myself.” 

Aang shrugged. “If you’re sure.” 

Sooka nodded and they switched to lighter lunch topics. 

* * *

_This doctor has good reviews, I’ll check him out._ He booked an appointment online for next week and shoved it out of his mind. He didn't want to think about it anymore than he had. He had no idea why this event affected him so much, but it did. He needed to stop feeling this way when the anniversary came around every year. 

He was tired of feeling this way. 

He got ready for bed and got ready to go to sleep. Once he fell asleep, he dreamt. A dream he got frequently around this year. For it was not a dream but a memory. 

* * *

_It was snowing hard. Sokka pulled his coat tighter and blew on his glove-covered hands. It was freezing today. He saw the park he had to pass before going home and sped up. It would only be a matter of minutes before he got home. ‘Dad promised to make dinner tonight so I can’t be late!’ he thought. Having their dad around was a rare occurrence, since he had to work a lot to support the family._

_As he passed the park he saw a lone figure there. Going closer he saw it was his classmate, Zuko. He was a quiet kid, not really speaking unless spoken too. Sokka didn’t really know him enough to not like him, but he heard rumors. Enough that he stayed away from Zuko._

_Although Zuko always seemed sad underneath the surface level anger. He may not speak unless spoken too, but when he did it was_ **_loud_ ** _. It was quite a contrast._

_He made his way closer when he saw Zuko standing at the tree. Sokka wondered why he was out here at this time. He also wondered if Zuko’s parents knew, and if they allowed it. He_ ** _did_** _see Zuko here frequently, now that he thought of it._

_(Standing there quietly, looking at Zuko he was struck by a sense of loneliness. Zuko looked so sad standing there at the tree. A look of deep anguish was stuck on his face._

_It was one Sokka wouldn’t forget, even years later.)_

_Shaking his head he walked away from Zuko. “Whatever.” he mumbled to himself. “I’ll ask him tomorrow.”_

_He walked into the warm house and let the greeting of his family wash over him. All thoughts of Zuko and the tree were pushed out of his mind as he helped set the table for dinner. Sharing a meal with his family, he chatted about his day, Zuko no longer a thought in his mind._

_Years later he would remember the face and realize that standing under the tree, with snow falling down on him, Zuko was crying._

_He would wonder a lot of things._

_But the thing he wondered most was why._

* * *

He woke up with a shock. It was therapy day tomorrow. That dream, or a version of it had been present every day since last week's meeting with Aang. _Perhaps Aang was right about therapy. I’m worn out after sleeping_. His phone buzzed and he clicked call, vision still a bit blurry. 

“Hello?” he said, a bit groggy.

“Sokaa, what are you doing?! Get up! You’ll be late!” came the voice of his co-worker. Sokka looked at the time. It was almost 9. He was going to be late.

“I’m going to be late, Suki!” he yelled into the phone. 

“That’s why I called you.” came Suki’s annoyed grumble. “I can’t believe you forgot. It’s literally your job.” 

He got rid of his sleep clothes and went to put on his clothes. Luckily he worked close to the engineering building. So he could run there. He had about twenty minutes to get there before he was considered late. He quickly ran out of the house, yelling a “goodbye!” to Suki. 

He ran to the building and got there just on time. “I’m here!” he yelled. 

Suki looked up from her desk and scoffed, “About time. I would have told Toph you were late and you know how she feels about that when you two are on a project.”

Sokka shuddered. “Yeah, I know. She would kick me where it hurts.”

Suki laughed, “Among other things. Now go ahead, she’s waiting for you.”

He nodded and walked back. _Just another regular day._ Sokka smiled. 

(He would come to regret those words later, he would find. Looking around desperately, trying to believe it was all a joke, a cruel prank, anything for it to not be real. The blood running down his arms as he sat crouched against a wall, hoping he evaded the authorities for a crime he didn't commit. He would remember this normal average day and sob silently. He would wish he never thought about it. He would wish a lot of things.)

He smiled as he walked in. “Hey Toph, what are we working on today?”

She popped up. “Well, well, well, look who finally showed up.” 

He rolled his eyes. “I was here on time, don’t start.”

In the background he heard Suki laugh. 

* * *

_101, 102, 103, ah here it is._ He knocked on the door labeled “103”. He took a deep breath, unsure why nerves came over him. _Telling dad about this was a bad idea. He got so weird about it. Which was unlike him._

He thought about last night's weekly dinner with their dad, and how strange it was. 

_“Hey dad!” he said, and he walked through his old house's door. It hadn’t changed a bit. His grandma popped out from the kitchen and scolded him. “Shoes off in the house! Do I need to come over there and give you a swift reminder?” she said, holding her soup label threateningly._

_Sokka laughed and said, “Sorry, I forgot.”_

_Katara rolled her eyes and said, “Of course you did.”_

_Sokka ignored her and put his shoes away and sat on the couch. They idly chatted until it was time to eat. After setting the table, everyone sat down and dug in._

_“So,” Hakoda said, “how has everyone’s week been.”_

_“Great!” Katara said. “Suki and I are finally teaching a higher level class at teh dojo we volunteer at.”_

_“That’s good! I’m glad they’re letting you have more responsibility. You two definitely deserve it.”_

_“Thanks dad.”_

_Attention was turned to him. “And what about you, Sokka? Anything new?”_

_A wave of embarrassment washed over him. He knew they wouldn't say anything about it but he was still nervous. “Yeah, actually.”_

_At that he received three curious stares. “Aang convinced me to talk to a therapist about...you know.”_

_A moment of silence before his father broke it. “I’m really proud of you Sokka. It takes courage to face things you don't want to talk about. I know how heavily it weighed on you as a kid, and I’m glad you’re taking steps to improve yourself.”_

_A warm feeling washed over him. “Thanks dad, it means a lot. Especially since tomorrow is the first session.”_

_“Oh, who are you seeing?”_

_When he said the name of the therapist he chose his dad froze. “I think you should choose another one, Sokka.”_

_“Why?” Katara said, looking between them. “What’s so wrong with-”_

_“I just know him from back then and I just think someone different would be better. Tha’s all I’m saying.'' After a quiet moment, Hakoda excused himself from dinner._

_His grandma, who had been quiet the entire time, sighed and got up. “I’ll go talk to him. Eat your dinner before it gets cold.”_

_He turned to Katara as she left. “Well that was weird.”_

_Katara nodded. “I’ve never seen dad that insistent before.”_

_Sokka shrugged. “It’s too late to cancel anyway. I mean I could, but then I’d get hit with a fee and I'm not looking to pay money for something I didn’t do.”_

_She nodded. “Makes sense.”_

_They finished dinner in silence after that._

Sokka was pulled out of his musings of the past when his name was called. He was handed paperwork, filled it out, and then was taken to the therapists’ office.

The man looked happy to see him. Sokka looked at the modest office, plaques and degrees hanging on the wall behind him. He shook the therapists hand and faked a smile best he could. He still felt apprehensive, especially after his dad’s reaction yesterday. 

Something was not right.

The therapist gestured for him to sit and he introduced himself. 

“Welcome to my practice Sokka. You may call me Zhao. It’s nice to meet you.” 

He didn’t know it yet, but this was the beginning of the events that were about to unfold that would change not only his lives, but those around him.

But now he was ignorant of what was waiting for him, so he just said, “it’s nice to meet you.”

How wrong he would be.


	2. three, four, baby why dont you lock the door (prologue: part two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we continue setting up for the main plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only one more chapter in the future for this fic. then we get into the main plot. then we can finally meet the rest of the characters!

The meeting went well. Or as well as it could have. He still had that undercurrent of uneasiness floating through him. Especially since the reaction he got announcing this visit. 

Driving back he thought through the meeting. It was an ordinary one, one therapists and patients have when they meet for their first session. He set up a second meeting but was still waffling on whether he should cancel it or not, 

Pulling up to the restaurant, he met the rest of the gang there. 

As he walked into the restaurant he saw them waiting for their party to be called. He walked over and greeted everyone, letting the stress melt off him for now. He’ll deal with it later when he was alone anyway. 

“Hey guys. Glad I’m not late! Session went a bit longer than I expected but I’m glad I was on time.” He said, grinning.

Aang smiled. “I’m glad you took my advice. I know it wasn’t easy for you.” 

He nodded back and said, “Yeah it was a bit weird but I’ll tell you all when we get our table.”

As they were walking by they passed two people who were extremely familiar. He kept looking at the female, and presumably her father, until something clicked.

_ Why is  _ **_she_ ** _ here? _

He kept staring at her as she passed by and went into the parking lot. He didn’t even register the hostess calling their party name.

Katara shook him and got his attention. “Sokka, they called us.”

He snapped out of it and pushed the thoughts to the back of his head.  _ Time for food, not thinking about possibly traumatic childhood memories. _

They sat down and the waitress asked them what they wanted to drink. They all said their orders and the table was quiet for a few moments.

That’s when Toph, tactful as ever stated, “You want to tell us why you blanked out on us there?”

Sokka choked on the water he had just taken a drink of. “What?”

Clearing out his lungs he turned to their inquisitive stares. “Right.” He took a moment to collect himself and said, “I think that was Azula. Possibly her father.”

Katara froze. “Like Azula Azula? Zuko’s sister?”

He nodded, feeling a bit queasy. He never had a good vibe from her. She had been a grade lower than him, so he never really directly interacted with her, but she had been around times when Zuko was. 

“Yeah.”

Suki frowned, taking a sip of her ice tea. “Hm, that’s weird. I wonder if she’s back because of the anniversary.”

Katara scoffed. “She never was before. In fact, the day after Zuko was announced missing. That and the other two.”

_ The other two _ . While Sokka didn’t feel as much regret for them, he still felt bad for them. They had been in Azula’s class, her friends. Well, as much as anyone could be friends with a person like Azula anyway. 

He tempered seeing their faces in the paper as well, and thought how said it was. 

“Yeah.” He said. “I wonder why she’s back. Especially her father. From what I remember, he wasn’t around much when Zuko was in our class.”

_ It was all very strange. _ Sokka thought. A somber mood enveloped the whole table. “Sorry to bring us down guys. Seeing her just surprised because it’s been so many years.”

Suki waved him off. “It’s fine. Honestly, the whole thing was terrible.” 

Sokka looked down. “Yeah.” He murmured. “It was. I feel like there was this secret with the grown ups we couldn’t know. Especially after the Jet thing happened.” 

“I always wondered what happened to him when I was a kid. It was truly terrible to learn about. He seemed nice enough.”

“Yeah.” He looked to where the server was approaching. “It was.”

The tense silence continued on, no one really knowing what to say after the conversation concluded. 

* * *

Aang was worried. He knew the conversation at lunch was too heavy of a conversation for this time of day, so he opted to lighten it up a bit more.

“Did I tell you something funny I was told the other day by a client?” He said, breaking the ice as they ate.

Suki gave him a relived look and said, “Isn’t that illegal or something? Client confidentiality?”

Aang laughed and said, “No, this is fine to tell. It’s actually a pretty funny story.”

He launched into a story about crabs and ladders (quite a weird connection, but the story was hilarious.) There was wild gesticulating and overblown dramatics, but by the end of it the mood had lightened and everyone was laughing. 

“That’s quite a story, twinkle toes.” Toph said, as she picked up a fry.

Suki nodded, “I agree. That was quite a story.”

Katara rolled her eyes playfully. “Are you sure you didn’t just make it up?”

Aang shook his head. “No, it’s all true. I didn’t believe it either until he showed me pictures.”

Sokka shook his head. “Sounds like he had a interesting time.”

Aang nodded. “Yeah, it was quite the debacle.”

A quiet silence overtook them, but it was nice. Unlike before, which had been almost stifling. 

Aang tapped his fingers against the table as everyone else got into conversations. Toph and Katara were talking about something, and Suki and Sokka were laughing at what the other had said. 

Aang was glad the tense atmosphere had all but vanished. He would have to talk to Sokka and ask how today went.  _ Maybe  _ **_I_ ** _ should go too. The anniversary is coming up, and I still haven’t forgotten what happened. _

Aang shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was something he couldn’t tell anyone. He had no idea how to bring it up, even years later. But since Sokka decided to talk to someone maybe he should too.  _ After all, if anyone knows what I am feeling it’s him. _

He resolved to talk to him later tonight. 

* * *

Sokka sighed as the phone rang. He had gotten back from lunch earlier and had a talk with his dad, although it had gone as much as to be expected. 

_ I still don’t understand what his deal is. I didn’t even know he knew the guy, much less harbored intense negative feelings for him.  _

It was quite a mystery. He clicked “accept” and said, “Hello?” without checking the caller ID. 

“Sokka?” Aang's voice came through the phone. Although it was his usual upbeat tone, serious with an undercurrent of nervousness. 

“Aang?” He looked at the time. It was almost midnight. He had to go to sleep soon to be ready for his shift in the morning.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to answer. Sorry for calling so late.”

“It’s fine. What did you need?”

A moment of quiet. Sokka was almost about to hang up since he thought the line was dead when Aang spoke again. “I was wondering how today went. In your session.”

Sokka sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. “You couldn’t have waited until tomorrow? I was about to head to sleep.”

Aang was quiet before he said, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

Before he could utter a defense, the line clicked and the call ended.

_ Well that was really weird _ . He thought, before getting ready to go to sleep.

For once he didn’t dream. It was pleasant. 

* * *

_ “So, let’s start the session off on an easy note. I want you tell me why you came into today. You were very vague on the pre-report here.” Zhao said, folding his hands together on the desk. _

_ Sokka laughed, nerves buzzing. “Yeah. About that. My friend convinced me to come here. He said I needed to talk about this thing I’ve been dealing with otherwise it would consume me.” _

_ Zhao nodded sagely. “Your friend is very smart. Talking about things may not be easy but it helps tremendously in the end.” _

_ Sokka laughed nervously. “Yeah, Aang is wise like that.” _

_ Zhao’s eyebrows rose. “Aang? Is he a therapist?” _

_ Sokka gave him a confused look. “Yeah? You know him?” _

_ Zhao looked pensive. “I know of him. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. But that’s not the point. You’re telling me why you booked this session?” _

_ He nodded nervously. “I’m not sure how familiar you are with this town's history. Many years ago there were a few murders that happened. They caught the guy, but he kept saying he was innocent.” _

_ Zhao nodded. “Yes, I’ve been here for a long time. The guy they caught, what was his name again?” _

_ Sokka made a face. “It was Jet. He was friends with my sister Katara, but I never liked him. I can’t say I was surprised when they picked him up for it. I didn’t even know what was happening at the time. My dad kept us shielded from the news back then.” _

_ “Your dad is Hakoda, right?” Zhao questioned.  _

_ Sokka felt confusion wash over him. “Yeah? He seems a bit unhappy when I mentioned I was visiting you for this but I have no idea why. Did you two have a falling out?” _

_ Zhao shrugged nonchalantly. “That would imply we ever had a positive relationship to begin with. We had never seen eye to eye. It’s unfortunate but that’s life. Not everyone will like you.” _

_ Sokka nodded. “Anyway, I saw him, Zuko, that is, on the last night before he went missing. Ever since then I felt like I maybe could have done something. If only I knew what would happen, I would have invited him with me to dinner with my family that night. We were never friends, but I wish I could have done something.” _

_ Zhao froze. “You saw him? That night?” _

_ Sokka ignored the weird response and continued on down memory lane. ‘How could I forget when it has all but been seared into my brain.’ _

_ “Yeah. He was standing alone by the huge tree in the park. I didn’t say anything to him or even get his attention, but I saw him on the way home. He seemed...sad.” _

_ Zhao nodded stiffly. “So you’re here due to misplaced guilt over that event.” _

_ Sokka nodded. “I guess? I don’t know, my thoughts are very tangled about this and I was hoping to untangle them. That’s why I’m here.” _

_ Zhao smiled. It was not a friendly smile. It was one of those smiles that looked like the cat that got the canary. Of course Sokka was looking out the window and didn’t see this. But the time he turned back Zhao wiped all traces of any emotion off his face.  _

_ He clicked a pen. “I see. Well, that could take quite a few sessions. Are you amenable to that?” _

_ Sokka nodded. “Yeah, I just want to put this whole event behind me.” _

_ Later, he would mark this as his second mistake. He would lament ever saying anything. Especially going there in the first place. He should have listened to his instincts and not got in. Should have turned around and walked away.  _

_ Zhao held out his hand and Sokka shook it. _

_ A rush of anxiety swept over him. ‘Why does it feel like I made a horrible mistake?’  _

**Author's Note:**

> title is from "milk and cookies”


End file.
